Rathlin Energy’s expansion plans at West Newton site approved by East Riding councillors

Councillors have approved plans to expand the number of wells at a Holderness oil and gas drilling site after a long-running battle with campaigners to stop them.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee approved plans from Rathlin Energy by 10 votes to one for up to four more drills at West Newton A.East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee approved plans from Rathlin Energy by 10 votes to one for up to four more drills at West Newton A.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee approved plans from Rathlin Energy by 10 votes to one for up to four more drills at West Newton A.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee approved plans from Rathlin Energy by 10 votes to one for up to four more drills at West Newton A, in Fosham Road, High Fosham.

John Hodgins, director of the company’s UK arm, told councillors their plans had been scaled back and included more screening, road improvements and other such features than previously refused ones.

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But speakers including a planning consultant and councillors said the plans would fuel the industrialisation of Holderness where roads are unsuitable for lorries and damage the environment.

It comes as councillors also approved plans for a 36 month extension to bring a second drill on site at West Newton B, in Crook Lane, Burton Constable.

Councillors heard drilling itself would last for about 14 weeks within that time, with similar objections raised on environmental and traffic grounds.

The planning meeting held on Thursday (March 17) comes after councillors blocked the plans in September over the scale of the development and concerns that lorries would make roads unsafe.

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Rathlin’s expansion plans and its exploration and drilling at both sites have long been opposed by environmental campaigners and some locals living nearby.

Around 400 people objected to the plans passed today while Fossil Free East Yorkshire’s Richard Howard said councillors failed to protect locals and the area by approving them.

Councillors heard today that the company had cut the number of wells from the six proposed in September to four, reducing the site’s footprint to 2.52ha from the previous 3.46ha.

Rathlin also pledged to limit HGV movements to 10 a day during production and to plant more than 5,000 trees and shrubs and put in landscaping features to screen it.

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Four new passing lanes are planned on Pasture Lane, between Burton Constable Road and Moor Lane, each 20m long to allow cars and lorries to pass each other.

The company has also pledged to fully restore the site back to nature after its estimated 25 year lifespan.

Rathlin has also stated it could build a pipeline to avoid transporting fossil fuels by road, but it would depend on the amount of oil and gas that could be extracted.

The process would however see a 55m drilling rig on site for an estimated two years which none of the proposed landscaping features would block from view.

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Some of the gas extracted would also have to be flared, burnt from atop a tower, though Rathlin state this would be done rarely and only in certain circumstances.

Rathlin has also stated although it was in talks with a number of regional buyers for crude oil and gas it would have no control over where refined products went.

The company plans to use some of the gas drilled to power operations onsite but has stated it would only sell extracts on if they could drill enough of it.

Meanwhile, the committee also heard an extension was needed at West Newton B to complete a second round of drilling stalled due to coronavirus and getting the proper equipment.

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Mr Hodgins told councillors the plans formed a key part of the transition towards a carbon neutral economy and the Humber’s role as an ‘Energy Estuary’.

He added securing local sources of energy was also important in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the former a major exporter of oil and gas to Europe.

The director said: “The East Riding is going to see a significant number of new energy projects in the coming decades, including the production of blue and green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.

“These plans are a compatible and necessary part of that and they will help to fill a domestic supply gap.

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“Holderness also has some of the most productive farmland in Europe, farms depend on many products which use oil and gas.”

But objector Ms K Atkinson told councillors road assessments failed to take into account pinch points and lorries would pose a danger to walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

She added planning officers’ recommendation to approve the plans also ignored other industrial developments proposed or happening in the area.

Cllr Andy Walker, one of those who pushed for the council to declare a climate emergency, said the plans had nothing to do with gas and should be stopped.

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Mid-Holderness ward’s Cllr Jacob Birch said it would turn the area into a sacrifice zone while fellow ward member Cllr John Holtby said very little had changed from previous plans.

Cllr Tim Norman, of Bridlington South further up the coast, said it would see areas of natural beauty blighted which could put off tourists and other visitors.

But Cllr John Whittle, who voted against the plans in September, said blocking them again could risk losing conditions including restricting lorry trips if Rathlin appealed.

Cllr Gary McMaster said everyone in the East Riding had to put up with something they did not like while Cllr David Rudd said the plans were an acceptable compromise.

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Committee chair Cllr Leo Hammond said the plans showed Rathlin had gone away and listened to concerns locals and councillors raised in September.

He said: “I can no longer see a strong enough planning reason to refuse this application.”